I won't be silenced in debate: Rudd

13 Sep 2012, 6:33 am   -   Source: AAP
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Mr Rudd likened himself to former British PM Gordon Brown, a member of the House of Commons, who contributes to policy debate domestically and internationally. (AAP)

Mr Rudd likened himself to former British PM Gordon Brown, a member of the House of Commons, who contributes to policy debate domestically and internationally. (AAP)

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has backed Julia Gillard to lead Labor to the next federal election and win it.

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Former prime minister Kevin Rudd says he won't be silenced in public debate and has backed his successor Julia Gillard to lead Labor to a win at the next federal election.

In his first wide-ranging television interview since he failed to regain the top job in a February leadership battle with Ms Gillard, Mr Rudd said his main political foe was Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

"Of course the government can prevail against Mr Abbott at the next election ... under the prime ministership's leadership to do so," Mr Rudd told ABC Television on Wednesday.

He was asked if that would be under Prime Minister Gillard's leadership - and it took him a couple of goes to get there.

He twice replied "under the prime ministership's leadership to do so".

When asked yet again he said: "I just said that ... under prime minister Gillard's leadership".

The Queensland MP said it was important he "lend his shoulder to the wheel" to make it clear to Australians what they would be buying on trust with Mr Abbott.

He said new Liberal governments in Queensland had slashed health and in NSW were taking the axe to education.

"This frankly is just the entree," Mr Rudd said.

"The main course lies with Mr Abbott."

Mr Rudd likened himself to former British PM Gordon Brown, a member of the House of Commons, who contributes to policy debate domestically and internationally.

"I think that's what is expected of us, to lend our contribution to the national public political debate," he said.

Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China, Mr Rudd said he agreed with Resources Minister Martin Ferguson that commodity prices had softened but there was a robust outlook in the medium term.

"There is some modest slowing in the Chinese economy but this is not a disastrous slowing," Mr Rudd said.

Asked if he had made a mistake after he was elected in 2007 by unwinding the Howard government's so-called Pacific Solution, which is now being reinstated with bipartisan support, Mr Rudd said he had a mandate to do so.

But Mr Rudd said he respected and supported Immigration Minister Chris Bowen's judgment to restart offshore processing in Nauru.

The situation had changed, with a complex set of push and pull factors and circumstances since the Howard policies were dismantled, Mr Rudd said.

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Your Comments

First mate of a Rudderless sinking ship

Steve - from Sydney, 8 months ago

Judging by the anihalation of Labor in the recent local government election results Rudd will be lucky to get the posting of Janitor at Parliament House after the federal election. The great tragedy is that it will take this country many years to recover from the disastrous policies of this incompetent, wasteful and corrupt government. When will Australian voters learn never to trust Labor? We had it so good with the Howard Liberal government.

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